The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-13
ST. VALENTINES DAY.
The Good Old Bishop Not Responsible for
the Manner of Its Celebration.

The Good Old Bishop Not Responsible for
the Manner of Its Celebration.
Youths Companion.
St. Valentine cannot be held responsible for
the gilt cupids, true lovers knots and hearts
pierced with arrows that pass between young
people on the 14th of February. He was merely
a grave and earnest bishop who, as a reward for
his efforts in converting the heathen was put to
death by them at Rome on the i4th of February,
somewhere about the year. 2lO. How the pop
ular way of commemorative his day arose is q
matter of guess work only, but the practice OF
regarding it as the lovers anniversary is quite
ancient We in this country derive the practice
of sending valentines" from our English ances
tors. But in England the ways Of celebrating
the day are many although some of the ancient
customs are no longer observed In olden times
it was customary to deck the houses with ever
greens in honor of 1t. Ben Jonson writes:
Get some fresh hay. then, to lay under foot,
Some holly and ivy to make fine the posts;
Is't not Saint Valentines day''
In Kent the girls still burn holly boy on that
day, while the boys return the compliment by
sacrificing an ivy girl.
The distinguishing feature OF the day, howev-
err, has always been the choice of lady or a cav
aier for the following year. faithful valer-
tine was forced to escort his lady to all merry.
makings, and to carry out any commands abe
might give aim; but making her gift released
him from his obligations
One method of choice consisted in writing the
names of men and maidens upon slips OF paper,
that they might draw lots, exactly In the fash
ion of the old Roman festival Each person. OF
course. had two valentines, although the man
| garded the one drawn by him as his true choice
| This custom was always accompanied by gifts.
1t was also decree of the day that the first
individual of the opposite sex seen by an unmar-
ried person on st. Valentines morning should
| be his or her valentine.
| In that delightful record Of English domestic
life in the reigc of Charles H. Pepys's Diary, 1t
is stated that married and single were alike
liable to be chosen. The entry for Feb IA,
| 1867 runs thus
This morning came up to my wife's bedside
little Will Mercer. to be her valentine, and
| brought her name written upon blue paper in
gold letters, done by himself very pretty; and
we were both we'll pleased with it. But am
| also this year my wife's valentine and it will
cost me five pounds. but that ] must have laid
out if We had not been valentines"
From which it may be inferred that the gen.
tleman was of a frugal turn of mind.
Certain customs devoted now to All Hallow-
cen were once in use on St. Valentines eve. A
young lady writes, in the middle of the last CEN
fury:
Last Friday was Valentines day, and the
night before got five bay leaves. and pinned
four of them to the four corners of my pillow
and the fifth to the middle and then if I dreamt
of my sweetheart. Betty said We should be mar
red before the year was out
'But to make it more sure l boiled en- egg
hard, and took out the yok, and filled it with
SALT and, when went to bed. ate it. shell and all
We also wrote our lovers names upon bits of pa
per, and rolled them up in clay and put them
into water, and the first that rose up was to, be
our valentine.
would you think t2 Mr.. Blossom was my
man."
From the following extract. Also it may be
perceived that in such important matters It Il
sometimes necessary to assist fate so far as one
is able:
II lay abed and shut my eyes all the. morn
ing, till he came to our house, for / would no
have seen another man before MIN for all the
world"
Truly human nature was much the same
century ago as it is o-day, and St Valentines dev
otees were then even more excited by his tokens
than the girls and boys who remembered By
the postman in this present year.